Fast and Easy School Lunches That Will Actually Get Eaten.

By Michelle Stern

Our fishing expedition on

Flathead
Lake this summer was comical. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to catch anything, even though the boat next to us was pulling in fish every time we looked! Clearly, there was something we weren’t doing right. As a man from the next boat yelled over to us, “What kind of bait are you using?” a crazy thought entered into my mind: Feeding children is a lot like fishing – you have to have the right lure, or they won’t bite! Packing desirable school lunches is a lot like the fine art of selecting an appealing lure while fishing. Try some of these stress-free strategies for packing healthy lunches that your fish will bite and not refuse.

Ask your kids what they will enjoy. Remember that if they don’t like certain foods at home, they won’t like them at school either!

Ask for their input before loading their lunch box. Just because they liked something today doesn’t mean that they will like it again tomorrow.

Keep in mind that your children don’t have much time to eat…so pack foods in small portions that are easy to eat, so they have time left to play.

Don’t be lured into buying prepackaged lunches, which are high in fat, sugar, salt and calories, are much more expensive, and produce tons of unnecessary garbage.

Let your child help you select a cool lead-free and reusable lunch bag or lunch box [1]. Pick up a few reusable containers that will fit inside – this will prevent food from leaking and getting smashed, and will help you avoid using disposable items like plastic bags and foil.

Wrap it Up! Combine a variety of spreads, fillings and wrappers for a sandwich alternative your kids won’t forget. For lots of wrap recipes, please visit the Healthy School Lunches [2] page at What’s Cooking.

Make Ahead…

Quiches or frittatas are full of protein. Try making a batch in a mini muffin pan – they will be a great size for school lunches and will last in the refrigerator for the whole week.

Whole grain pasta or couscous salad

You can make several peanut butter and jam sandwiches at a time. Wrap them tightly and store in the freezer. Toss one in a lunch bag and it will be thawed by lunch time! Is peanut butter banned at your school? Try: cashew butter, almond butter, soy nut butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini (sesame seed paste) as alternate spreads

Many of the thermos treasures below can be made ahead, stored and warmed before packing.

Thermos Treasures…

Tortellini with pesto

Spaghetti with marinara sauce

Noodle Soup

Fried Rice

Chili with corn chips on the side for dipping

Fruit Smoothies…cold, of course!

Container Combinations…for kids to assemble and snack on themselves

Purchase yogurt in bulk, and serve in a reusable container. On the side, pack some toppings, such as dried fruit, granola or grape nuts.

Carrots, cucumber or broccoli with dip, such as ranch dressing, plain yogurt with dill, or peanut/almond/cashew/sunflower seed butters

Packing an appealing school lunch will lure your children into eating well, and help them to be more successful in school. Don’t be caught with the wrong bait, or your kids might throw it back!

Michelle Stern owns What’s Cooking [3], a SF Bay Area business that offers cooking classes and gifts to children. Their online service, What’s Cooking Weekly, gives busy families recipes and grocery lists for 5 healthy meals every week, along with tips on how your kids can help in the kitchen.